


The Bonded-Pair Cover

by calibratingentropy



Series: Undercover Partners [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alien Biology, Alien Culture, Alien Gender/Sexuality, Fake/Pretend Relationship, M/M, Other, Quad-sexed Ovoviviparous Marsupial Galra, Sharing a Bed, Social Grooming (Think Cats or Primates), Spies, Undercover Missions, Undercover as a Couple, allies to friends to lovers, fake relationship turns real
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-02
Updated: 2019-03-02
Packaged: 2019-11-07 19:19:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17966471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/calibratingentropy/pseuds/calibratingentropy
Summary: Thace has chosen to go undercover for the Blade of Marmora. He knows it will be stressful, isolating and dangerous, but he's prepared for that.What he isn't prepared for is the partner Kolivan has assigned him so they both have backup and a support network.Ulaz has chosen to go undercover for the Blade of Marmora after completing some research that will help Blades maintain covers in more situations. He's expecting a difficult, lonely mission. He's not expecting his research to be used to give him a partner to be support and backup.Going undercover and posing as a bonded-pair can't be harder than going undercover otherwise, can it?





	The Bonded-Pair Cover

**Author's Note:**

> Hello all! I wrote this piece for the Thulaz zine and I'm finally posting it here. The Thulaz zine is free to download, and you can find it [here](https://galrashipzine.tumblr.com/post/182029982712/its-finally-here-90-pages-of-thulaz-content) if you'd like to see the rest (it's all awesome, with lots of fics and artwork!)
> 
> Some fast facts:  
> \--Galra are space-kangaroo-seahorses, and have four sexes! Thace is male, and Ulaz is a sex called a switch but prefers masculine pronouns.   
> \--Bonding is part biological, and involves exchanges of hormones and scent. A bonded pair needs to spend time together semi-frequently to keep those exchanges going, otherwise a bond will break. Bonded pairs generally experience quicker healing, better immune response, and better handle the stressful environment of the fleet, so while bonding isn't encouraged, concessions are made for bonded pairs.

The nods from Thace’s brother and sister Blades as he passed felt like congratulations, but also like grieved farewells. He might never see these halls again, and if he did, it wouldn’t be for decades at least. Deep cover missions weren’t to be taken lightly, and Thace had put cycles of thought into volunteering for one, but now that leaving was imminent, he felt the weight of the decision in every step. 

It was the right decision, and a way he could contribute more than he had been to the cause. It was also leaving the family he’d found here, and going out to drop himself right into a nest of venomous rahjniks. Thace would be isolated in a way that he hadn’t been in so long, not since before he’d stumbled upon the Blades after he’d given up on the fleet in rage and disgust.

After this debriefing with Leader Kolivan, Thace would have one sleep shift to make his final preparations, and then a brief trip to the assignment center. From there, he’d be posted as a junior communications officer and then… 

It was probably better not to dwell on the future right now. Thace paused for a moment at the door to steady himself and pressed the chime. Not even a tick later, the door opened, revealing Leader and— 

While Thace stared in incomprehension, the other Blade in the room stood and offered a hand. Feeling dumb and completely unprepared, Thace took it. The Blade (his name was Ulaz, Thace remembered, and he preferred masculine pronouns rather than the bi-gendered default for his sex) had a firm grip around Thace’s forearm, and a grim demeanor. 

Leader gestured for them both to sit, and addressed Thace. “Brother Ulaz is also going undercover as a medical technician and prosthetist. Like you, he will be expected to climb in rank.”

Realization struck; Thace suppressed the urge to shudder. So Ulaz was meant to get close to Zarkon’s Witch in the same way that Thace was supposed to get close to Zarkon’s High Command. It was incredibly dangerous, but that didn’t explain why they were both here together. Thace didn’t need to know the details of Ulaz’s mission, and the reverse was equally true. So he hazarded a brief ‘sir?’ and let his scent speak of his confusion.

Leader’s scent had an odd note in it that Thace wasn’t sure what to make of. It was almost… embarrassment? Regardless, Leader wasn’t letting that stop him, and continued. “Both missions will be isolating, and present you with sensitive information that must reach us at all costs. We’ve lost agents in deep cover and their information before so this time, I wanted to provide a failsafe for both of you. I would like you two to act as a support network and backup for each other. There’s more risk, but I have confidence in your abilities.” 

“Of course, sir,” Thace said automatically, but his mind was racing. How would they even manage to meet, as far apart as they were likely to be stationed? They would need a cover— Oh. Thace risked a glance at Ulaz, who still looked grim, but didn’t smell of surprise. 

Ulaz spoke, words carefully measured. “Bonded partners are given certain concessions, and that includes the ability to travel and meet with each other in order to keep the physical aspects of the bond maintained. However, recent research has worked towards providing the biochemical compounds to increase the time bonded partners can spend apart. The Imperial medical corps haven’t been successful yet, but we have used their formula to create a drug that will simulate a bond with only minimal contact, regardless of compatibility.” 

Posing as a bonded pair…could work. Most Galra barely understood or recognized bonds. It also made perfect sense to give them chances to meet and exchange information under the cover of maintaining the bond, and Thace respected Ulaz. Bonding was something he had never expected to achieve, and didn’t _want_ anymore now that he was a Blade, so he wouldn’t lose on that front either. “I’ll do it. How does it work, and what do I need to know?” 

Ulaz was quick to explain how the drugs worked, and the amount of contact they would need to keep the effects going. Having Ulaz’s scent around him wouldn’t be a difficulty, as Thace found it pleasant, and partners exchanging scent-covered disks was common. Self-pleasuring while drenched in that same scent wasn’t a difficulty, exactly, but Ulaz’s clinical tone had faltered when he’d talked about it, so at least Thace wasn’t alone in the awkwardness.

Everything was perfectly doable and sensible, and honestly nothing compared to the risks and lengths Thace would need to go to to maintain his cover within the fleet. He could do this, and having someone who _knew_ at his side even fleetingly would be something he already knew he’d come to rely on. So he posed no objections, and the debriefing continued. 

It took effort to keep his attention on the information, because Thace’s thoughts kept straying to Ulaz, and what they’d need to do together tonight to get the false-bonding process started. Ulaz’s scent went flustered more than once, so Thace wasn’t alone in being distracted. 

Leader dismissing them was a relief, and Ulaz trailed Thace back to his quarters. Of course. Otherwise Ulaz would be staying in one of the guest berths, because he wasn’t stationed on this base and he needed to administer the drug to them both simultaneously anyway. Thace felt a reflexive flush of embarrassment in spite of this logic, even though he knew his quarters were impeccably clean. “So, these are my quarters…” 

Silence. Awkwardness was thick in both their scents, and Ulaz’s perfectly professional facade cracked as his mouth twisted into a frown then an unsure expression. According to Ulaz’s explanation, they needed physical contact that was at least partially skin-to-skin before even administering the drug, and then a booster shot in the morning right before… Well. 

Ulaz’s expression twisted into distaste, self-directed, and he pulled at his armor abruptly. “We need to get on with it; the drug requires time to take effect.”

“Of course.” Thace turned around, giving him the illusion of privacy for… Why? If they were going to pretend to be bonded partners, being body-shy around each other was foolish. The back of his mind answered for him: because as much respect as they had for each other, they still barely knew each other. Thace would no more get into bed with a stranger than kill someone on a usual day, and comrade or not, Ulaz wasn’t yet a _friend._ They needed time that they didn’t have. But maybe there was a way around that. 

“Grooming.” At Ulaz’s questioning noise, Thace elaborated. “It would serve the dual purpose of exchanging scent, relaxing each other, and familiarizing us.” 

A short, sharp laugh sounded behind him. “That’s actually an excellent idea, Thace.” 

Thace turned to see Ulaz stripped down to just the lower half of his undersuit, with vials of the drug laid out on the table, ready for injection. The same pale markings on his face and head were scattered over his torso, little white stripes curling around his ribs. _Lovely._ Thace shook his head to dislodge the thought. They were pretend partners, not actual ones, and thoughts like that had no place in their working relationship. 

It stayed stubbornly, even as Thace pulled out his sleep clothes. Ulaz's belongings were waiting in the hanger for the trip out tomorrow so he had nothing with him. Ulaz was just a little taller, but not enough that Thace's clothes wouldn’t fit him, and it was only polite to offer. (It was the lovely switch he’d be spending the night with in _his_ clothes, carrying traces of scent even after washing.) 

Ulaz accepted the clothes without a word. Thace put all his focus on getting into his sleep clothes to avoid the temptation to look. He had his grooming tools in the drawer by his bed, so that was the next goal, and he turned to find Ulaz sitting on his bed, still topless. The rim of his pouch, just loose enough to be distinct from his abdomen, caught the light, and Thace had to clear his throat to speak. “I could start, if you’d like.” 

Ulaz’s skin darkened in a flush, and he nodded, short and sharp. “Of course.” 

Was that scent…? Thace tamped down hard on the thought, even as a trickle of pride wound through him in response. He wasn’t alone in thinking his false partner was attractive, it seemed. He settled behind Ulaz, starting by running a soft cloth over skin and fur to remove surface dirt. The tension in Ulaz’s shoulders was almost enough to make Thace draw back, but they had to make this work to pull off their new cover. Conversation might help. 

“I’ve been thinking, this works perfectly with my cover. I left the military as soon as the mandatory period of service was over, and the plan was to say that I’d found life outside the fleet unsuitable. But what if the reason was because I’d found a partner? The military life pays so much better than anything else.” 

While he talked, he carefully worked a comb through Ulaz’s furred crest, and down the longer ruff that trailed the length of his spine. Tension slowly started unwinding from Ulaz’s back, and he hummed at the words. “The implication being that we wish to reproduce, then, and are saving up to provide for the children’s education?” 

Thace made a noise of agreement in his throat, world narrowing down to the satiny soft and fine hairs over Ulaz’s back. He wasn’t a furless Galra, but he was one of the few who carried the almost invisible downy undercoat over his whole body, instead of just the face, neck, and extremities. It felt good beneath the pads of his fingers as Thace rubbed them in soothing circles, spreading skin oils evenly and smoothing the fur to lie well.

A clearing of Ulaz’s throat brought Thace out of his thoughts, and he realized he’d run out of back. Awkwardness crept back in. “Do you want me to continue?” 

“I should do you in return,” Ulaz said, looking over his shoulder, “but after the injection. Or… A little grooming first.” 

Thace obediently turned around and didn’t even try to hold back a sigh as he felt his mane being ruffled. Ulaz started at his crest and worked outward and downward, lifting the fur to run the cloth over skin and clean it and then using the comb and clawtips to do much the same with the fur itself. The air thickened, both their scents increasing as skin oil production was stimulated. 

And _mingling._ That was what Ulaz was looking for, because he stopped abruptly to inject them both before going back to work. The slight sting on Thace’s upper arm was soothed by clever fingers and he twisted, moving on to Ulaz’s chest as Ulaz moved on to his. 

Thace couldn’t help abruptly tensing when Ulaz got to his pouch rim. As much as he trusted his brother Blade, Thace didn’t think he could take that. Not now, perhaps not ever. As intimate as grooming was, pouch grooming was infinitely more so. Ulaz flushed again and abruptly got up to head to the tiny bathroom. His voice was tight. “We should sleep.” 

With nothing else to do while he waited for his own turn, Thace busied himself by checking over his belongings and packing a last few that he hadn’t gotten to yet. There was so little when he looked at it all neatly organized for travel. Well, that fit his cover, didn’t it? 

Ulaz came out just as Thace was starting to wonder if something had happened, and Thace made quick work of his own before-bed routine, snagging his toiletries to pack on the way out.

To find Ulaz in his bed, because of course. He’d known, in a distant way, that they would be sharing tonight, because contact was needed to jumpstart the false bond, but now that he was presented with the prospect right in front of him, a strange want burned down through his chest. ( _Lovely_ —No, couldn’t think that.)

He hardly had a moment to gather his thoughts before Ulaz snagged his wrist and pulled. “We need to _sleep_.” 

Thace knew that! But the urge to snap his teeth at the commanding tone died when he caught his balance, half over Ulaz with a hand braced close enough to feel Ulaz’s ear tip brush over his knuckle as that ear twitched. The moment stretched—

Shattered. It was Thace’s own need to shift position to prevent a cramp from the uncomfortable bend of his other arm that did it, and they both looked _anywhere_ else before settling. Another body, warm against his back, was so unusual that Thace’s mind tried to race, and it took all of his training to force his thoughts to still and seek out sleep. 

Thace woke disoriented, not sure if he’d been sleeping for ticks or for a shift. Ulaz’s scent had bloomed and filled his nose, and Thace realized that they’d both shifted in sleep, and his face was tucked underneath Ulaz’s chin. More than that, there was a subtle shift in scent that defied identification for one long moment. It hit like a shock prod. Ulaz smelled _bonded_ ; Thace smelled the change in his _own_ scent. Their scents mingled, thrilling the back of Thace’s brain in a way he’d never experienced before. 

“It’s working,” Ulaz murmured, words sticking in his throat from sleep. His expression was soft and so open for just a moment, and then it closed off. “We need to finish the process. I will… let you do it first.” 

A breath and another sting of injection later, Ulaz had fled to the bathroom, providing a thin illusion of privacy (Ulaz would be able to scent it, _hear_ it—) and Thace indulged in a groan. He pressed his face into the pillow, smelling their mingled scents and not ignoring the heat that wanted to build this time. Then he reached for the case that he kept his self-pleasure aids in.

* * *

Ulaz had almost expected something to go wrong with the plan, but so far, it hadn’t. Their insertion into the fleet went smoothly, if not without the other med-techs laughing at Ulaz’s scent. Being bonded was so often seen as a weakness, and Ulaz quietly disdained that opinion for foolishness. Bonds, literal and figurative, made everyone involved stronger. Thace was his brother Blade, his friend now, and the support they gave each other bolstered their own strengths. Ulaz wouldn’t give it up, even if there had been some bumps along the way and no doubt, more to come. 

He and Thace had fallen into routine over the cycles that turned to decades of their missions, exchanging their information and then grooming before sharing a bed. During each morning after, Ulaz gave them both a booster injection and then they switched off self-pleasuring to insure it took. The quarters in the fleet were even more claustrophobic than those in their own bases, so sometimes there was the temptation to give in and join Thace when he trilled his pleasure so that it echoed off the cramped walls. Ulaz suspected it was much the same for Thace when Ulaz took his turns. It made him grateful for contraceptives; Ulaz didn’t think he’d have the willpower to resist if he ever went into a full brooding period. 

Tonight was one of their chances to meet, which came along every other movement, if they were lucky. Scenting himself in Thace’s quarters always gave him a moment of surprise and exultation. It felt more like home than Ulaz’s true home in the Rokar base, and a trickle of worry was ignored. Ulaz couldn’t afford to think about the side-effects of the drugs, not now when their missions depended so heavily on their cover. 

Thace stank of stress and grief, held carefully in check until he got a chance to let them free at last, but he smiled for Ulaz, and something in Ulaz’s heart twisted. He could hardly concentrate on their mutual debriefing, backing up the information they’d gathered in the last movements, and was quick to pull out the comb and cloth the moment they were done. 

“What happened?” he asked. Thace's report itself had told him some of it. A posting in Sendak’s fleet was ripe with information for the Blades, but also a slow torture. Sendak was ever so successful at conquering planets and breaking the spirits of the natives, and yet another had finally fallen. 

Thace’s expression went distant. “I was pulled from my post and put in charge of a ground crew, clearing out one of the hold-outs of resistance. I couldn’t risk my cover, so I— Looking the other way while a few escaped doesn’t make up for the blood of the rest on my hands.” 

There was nothing else Ulaz could think to do except pull Thace into a kiss. The stress he’d smelled bloomed on his tongue, tasting so much more debilitating than scent alone implied, and he found himself warbling into the kiss, syrinx burning with the intensity of the sound. Thace kissed back with quiet desperation, and dug hands into the fabric of Ulaz’s evening robe. At first his responding coo was broken, weak, but it strengthened as they kissed and fell back against the pillows together. Ulaz licked his way to Thace’s ears, grooming with his tongue rather than tools, and slowly, slowly, the stress faded. 

Thace returned the most ancient, intimate form of grooming with a will, and Ulaz soon found himself fighting sleep. 

Why fight it? It was something they both needed, and Thace abruptly yawned and blinked up at him. Why fight, indeed. 

Waking came as slowly as sleep had come suddenly, and Ulaz was tempted to resist, pressing his face to the ruff at the back of Thace’s neck for a long moment. Thace made a sound that said he was as much asleep as awake and pressed back. His scent was soft with contentment, and the stress plaguing him was nothing more than a bitter echo in the background. This was a moment to treasure, and Ulaz gave in to the temptation to return to sleep. 

Almost. Something niggling at the back of his brain made him glance at the clock, and his blood froze. They’d overslept—

Thace bolted to his feet, frantic worry souring his scent. “There’s no time to— What do we do? I need to be at my post in dobashes.” 

Logic said that Ulaz should leave the booster and finish his own business while Thace went to his shift, while hoping the scent of his pleasure would still be strong enough on the pillows and sheets later when Thace had a break. His instincts (his heart) said there was enough time if they combined pleasure and a shower, and did it _together._

Ulaz let his instincts win. If the drug wasn’t fully activated it could wreak _havoc_ on Thace’s system. (He wanted this forbidden pleasure at least once.) “Get your aids and come to the shower with me. We’ll wash and get the booster activated at the same time and you won’t be late.” 

Thace flushed, but want trickled into his scent, turning it spicy and welcoming. There were no more words said as they rushed into the shower, and Ulaz pressed his cheek to Thace’s throat in a nuzzle as the water fell over them both. Thace chirped the moment Ulaz’s hand fell to his hip, and Ulaz knew it would be a success. A success at what cost, he didn’t know, but the future would reveal the cost when it came.

* * *

Thace had meant to hold the moment together in the shower as a pleasant memory, but it had dug deep and awakened hunger. Thace found himself getting almost anxious and cranky when he was apart from Ulaz, and desperately seeking out his false-partner’s scent when he self-pleasured. 

He was prepared to endure, but a first incident became two, three, then an almost regular occurrence. There was a line they did not cross, no more touch than a nuzzle or two or a quick caress, but Thace became as familiar with the sight of Ulaz’s pleasure as the scent and sounds of it. They tried not to seek pleasure next to each other too often, but decades became centuries, and the number kept rising at an increasing rate.

That was not the only change. Increases in rank and even earning quintessence infusions for both of them shifted their very bodies. It was stranger to watch a golden glow replace Ulaz’s pale irises than see the glow in the mirror, but it meant good things for both of their careers. The privilege of higher rank, as dubious as it was, had gotten the Blades word of the Red Lion’s discovery, and information about the method to track the Lions, soon enough to get agents in on many of the scouting missions. Ulaz’s information on the Witch’s experiments with draining quintessence was equally valuable. Perhaps more so. 

Tonight was not a night of good news, though, and Ulaz's smile of greeting froze the moment he opened the door to his quarters. “What is it, Thace?” 

“I need to transfer,” Thace said, before his nerve failed him. “Sendak’s first Lieutenant Commander has grown threatened by my rise in rank. He’s been quietly seeking ways to discredit or blackmail me.” 

He didn’t need to mention what that kind of snooping could lead to. It was only because others, wanting both himself and Haxus to destroy each other and create a power vacuum, had told Thace of Haxus’s actions that Thace even knew, because the other man was as subtle as he was intelligent. 

Ulaz winced and hissed quietly at nothing. “That’s unfortunate. I don’t suppose you could turn the tables?” 

“His record is impeccable, and he’s fiercely loyal. I could manufacture faults, but the risk would be exceptionally high. It’s better to transfer; other commanders have put out feelers to see if I was amenable to transfer before.” Thace knew Leader would be upset at the loss of access to one of Zarkon’s most trusted commanders, but he also knew that Leader wouldn’t risk an agent without very good reason. Obtaining information from other parts of the fleet was better than losing the source entirely.

Ulaz made a soft noise of support in lieu of speaking and then began the debriefing. Thace didn’t have much information to give besides what he already had told, so tonight, he listened, and waited patiently on the bed while Ulaz got up to get their injections. They’d both been needing larger doses recently, and it was worrying to say the least. But Ulaz had told him that he was working on a solution, and Thace trusted Ulaz. 

A curse drove him from his thoughts, and Thace got up to cross to Ulaz’s side before his thoughts caught up with his body. “What’s wrong?” 

An acrid scent hit his nose as Ulaz pulled the false bottom of the drawer completely away. The hidden compartment had a smear of tacky liquid in it and shards. Ulaz cursed again. “There was an explosion after one of the Witch’s experiments went wrong. I didn’t think to check the vials…” 

Silence. Ulaz wouldn’t look in Thace’s direction, and Thace knew that Ulaz had been having issues with finding time to synthesize more of the drugs. Without the drugs, their lie would be exposed, unless—

“It creates a false hormone exchange, doesn’t it? What if we initiate an actual one?” Just giving voice to the idea awoke the hunger that had been plaguing Thace for so long. Being the cause of Ulaz’s pleasure, instead of just a witness was more than just appealing. The thought ignited arousal so sharp that Thace bit his tongue to stop himself from voicing it. His scent gave him away anyway. 

Ulaz’s breath caught. “I have no idea what that would do. There could be adverse reactions or side-effects or…” 

He trailed off, scent thick with an answering arousal. Thace took a breath, trying to find his center. “Do we have a choice?” 

“…no.” It was a lie and they both knew it. Even Ulaz’s hesitation betrayed it. They did have a choice; they could stage a dissolution of the partnership, and then ‘make-up’ when Ulaz had more of the drugs. 

Ulaz closed his eyes and then abruptly stepped forward. His voice was pitched low and intimate, and while the words were just as much of a lie, there was no trace of falsehood in his voice this time. “No, we do not.”

* * *

Ulaz was glad that he’d been able to sneak some old equipment into his room and repair it. It was actually thanks to the Champion (Shiro, but Ulaz hardly dared think the name) and his struggles that the original equipment needed replacing. More immediately, he and Thace were experiencing adverse side effects from the drug. In truth, they’d been experiencing side effects for decades, no, centuries; they just hadn’t had the equipment to do bloodwork and learn the specifics. Ulaz already knew that he’d had to nearly double his contraceptives, but hadn't known the mechanism that was rendering them less effective. He’d known about Thace’s anxiety and defensiveness for centuries, but not that it was caused because his system was reacting like he’d been parted from a brooding bond-partner. And those were just the mild side-effects. 

The door chimed, and Ulaz got up to check it. Thace, as expected, and Thace’s expression and scent immediately went concerned as he breathed in Ulaz's scent. He scooped Ulaz into an embrace and a kiss and Ulaz didn’t protest. He sighed into it instead, letting the kiss bleed some of their tension away. Not enough, never enough, but some. 

Ulaz insisted on the debriefing first, because he knew that the information would distract them. Thace was on edge the whole time, and abruptly deflated when Ulaz explained the blood test results. Fear and apprehension went thick in Thace’s scent, and it was Ulaz’s turn to pull his… his brother Blade into a kiss. 

“You will not lose my support; we’ll find a way.” Ulaz pressed their foreheads together, mind racing. “We need to wean off this formula, but maybe a different formula will work. I will spend all my sleep shifts researching if I have to.” 

Something shifted in Thace’s scent, and Ulaz felt drawn in. Thace’s nose brushed his cheek, a hint of a nuzzle, and then he finally spoke. “What should we do until then? Sex?” 

They’d only had sex once, and just the memory of that single fumbling time, learning each other, was enough to send abrupt shivers through Ulaz. He wanted it again; he couldn’t lie to either of them about that. But he wouldn’t lie about the consequences either. “Our bodies are full of bonding hormones; sex might result in a real bond. And I… I don’t know if our systems can sustain a real bond, or if they might overcompensate, or—“

Thace kissed him, flooding Ulaz with a sense of peace. His voice was ernest, and his scent wide-open and honest. “I am willing to bond with you for real because bond or not, I care about you, and I don’t want to lose this relationship we have, whatever it might be.” 

Curse him for a fool. Ulaz wanted that, wanted a bond, real and true, with a partner he’d trusted and cared for for so long— He was going to take it, and if it damned them both, so be it. “I don’t want to lose it either. I suppose we’ll find out, one way or another.” 

Thace smirked, scent effervescent with his amusement, and tipped his chin up to nuzzle at Ulaz’s throat. “Knowledge or death?” 

“Knowledge; no death,” Ulaz countered, and neatly tipped Thace onto his bed. If nothing else, he’d enjoy this, and he could research the effects of the drug in more detail as soon as possible.

* * *

Epilogue

In the end, the only solution was to wean them both off the drug, but several movements into none and they still had both the scents and bonding hormones in their blood. Ulaz was relieved, but concerned. Did it mean they were truly bonded? Was it a lingering side effect of the drugs? He had no way of telling and nothing but time would give him clues.

Some of the other side-effects still lingered as well, and in spite of the contraceptives, Ulaz’s own body was trying to form eggs. If he slipped even a little, took his dose a varga late, he might end up brooding and he couldn’t deal with that now, on top of everything. Kolivan had refused his proposition to free Shiro, and Shiro was running out of time. The Witch was going to gleefully destroy him, and turn him into some corruption of himself. 

Ulaz didn’t know what to do, and he wasn’t sure if he could wait until his next night with Thace to do it. They were only rumors, but rumors Ulaz knew were true. The Blue Lion _was_ on Shiro’s home planet, and if that commander had gotten positive confirmation of the frequency… 

Ulaz _couldn’t_ wait. He had to do something now. And he wanted, no, _needed_ Thace at his side to do it. 

Ulaz looked at the next dose of his contraceptives. Maybe he could deal with brooding. Maybe he could use it to bring Thace to his side and enact some plan to save both Shiro and the universe. 

He swept the contraceptives off his desk and began working on a heavily encrypted message to Krolia.


End file.
